Any Clone Club member will tell you how exciting it was when we met Sarah and her sisters for the first time over ten years ago. The entire series felt like lightning in a bottle, held together by Tatiana Maslany’s undeniable star power. Though it was never a ratings power house, it did find a loyal fanbase, one that remains very vocal even seven years after Orphan Black ended. It makes sense that those behind the series would want to find another way to get back to that world, though you might find yourself questioning why they chose to rejoin it in such a bizarre way – at least initially.
Set in 2052, thirty seven years since we last saw the sestras and their loved ones, Echoes initially follows Lucy, a woman who awakens to find herself without any memory of who she is. A product of a talented scientist’s “printout” technology, she awakens in a room she doesn’t recognise, later escaping the facade she’s been trapped in and attempting to live her life on the run. The opening scene is a strong one, and you immediately feel for Lucy and the pain of what she’s going through. Krysten Ritter is great from the get-go, attempting to fill what should be a blank slate with emotion and humanity. Unfortunately, without a real personality to start with, Lucy isn’t the powerhouse protagonist that Sarah Manning was. This does change as the season progresses, but it’s a significant flaw in the series’ premise that might give viewers pause.
It’s when the show begins to split focus and allows the other leads to take the reins that it finds its footing. Keely Hawes’ scientist character is easily the standout. Orphan Black always focused on the ramifications of cloning and what it meant for personal freedom, and Echoes runs with that in the context of printouts and ownership of someone's life and memories. The scientist’s struggles with what she’s done aren’t shied away from, and form a huge part of the emotional core of the show. Her own personal traumas are also a large part of her journey this season, traumas that are a major spoiler so I won’t detail them here, but needless to say things get complicated quickly.
The third lead, the teenage Jules, also offers a fun perspective. I often found her scenes were very akin to those that depicted Sarah and Felix’s sleuthing in the original series, though her adoptive brother is a bit of a void of a character. Her role gets more important as the season goes on, and Amanda Fix is a strong little performer throughout all of her appearances. The season leaves her arc in an unexpected place – I’d love to see it continue further.
Outside of the three female leads, the rest of the cast are a little... forgettable. Lucy’s love interest Jack feels like a plot device from the get-go and the primary antagonist doesn’t inspire much of anything. Reed Diamond’s character Tom is an entertaining foil, but feels like he runs his course very quickly. There are a couple of casting surprises here, but outside of that there aren’t many characters around that are as engaging as the likes of Felix and Siobhan, or even Art.
In spite of its flaws, Echoes is a fun ride. There’s an enjoyable mystery to unravel as the story of how the printout technology came to be is revealed; the core characters are all easy to root for, even if those around them feel a bit two-dimensional; and there are fun easter eggs throughout for the clone club to get excited for. No Tatiana Maslany though, so don’t get your hopes up there!
I’m still a bit aghast as to why this series was rolled out in the way that it was, dropping with little fanfare in overseas markets, giving any hardcore fans the chance to see the whole thing before the official drop (if they were crafty enough). Surely a standard release would have lent itself to more online chatter? Was there just not much faith in it that it wasn’t properly released? It’s like it was being set up to fail. I hope I’m wrong but I’m not all that confident we’ll see more of this show. A shame given how it found its rhythm by the end.
7 out of 10 printouts.
I'm in the UK, so one of the places that it's been out since last year, and had absolutely no idea it even existed until this week. There was absolutely no fanfare on the BBC that it was coming out at all.
ReplyDeleteAs a result, I'm only two episodes in, and enjoying it so far. Definitely missing Tatiana Maslany a bit though
Huh. I had no idea this was a thing. I wonder if I can stream it in Canada somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI was very hesitant about this show as I've rewatched the entire original series at least twice and wasn't really sold on it until the 5th episode which is largely a lovely flashback. No spoilers but it did tie it into the original series nicely and I appreciated some of the cameos from the original cast.
ReplyDeleteI would also recommend the Orphan Black: The Next Chapter which is a podcast, taking place just 8 years after the end of the original series. The first season is voiced by Tatiana Maslany, bringing back all of our favorite clones, and other actors are brought in for the second season. Both are very enjoyable and there's some character development that continues on through Echoes. However, you could definitely watch Echoes without listening to Next Chapter.
I'm hoping that we get another season of Echoes but given the lack of fanfare around the release of season one, I'm not holding my breath.
topher darling, unfortunately, Orphan Black: Echoes is only getting one season -- it was cancelled.
Deletehttps://tvline.com/news/orphan-black-echoes-cancelled-no-season-2-amc-1235321942/